Are you a foundation repair contractor?
No. Montgomery County Foundation Repair is a referral and matching service. We collect the details of your problem and pass them to a foundation repair contractor serving your area. We do not perform construction work, hold a construction license, or send anyone to your property ourselves.
Does it cost anything to be matched?
Nothing to you. The service is compensated by the contractor who receives the referral. You are under no obligation to hire whoever contacts you, and you should still compare quotes.
Does Alabama require a license for foundation repair on my house?
For residential work, Alabama's Home Builders Licensure Board licenses under Title 34, Chapter 14A of the Code of Alabama, and a residential home builder license is required for the construction, remodeling, repair, improvement or reimprovement of a residence when the cost of the undertaking exceeds ten thousand dollars. Most residential foundation repair exceeds that. Commercial and industrial work is handled by a separate body, the Alabama Licensing Board for General Contractors, where the threshold rose from fifty thousand to one hundred thousand dollars effective October 1, 2024.
How do I check a contractor's license in Alabama?
Search the correct board. Residential home builders are listed with the Home Builders Licensure Board at hblb.alabama.gov. Commercial and industrial contractors are listed with the Alabama Licensing Board for General Contractors. Holding a license with one board does not authorize work under the other's jurisdiction, so a search that comes up empty may simply mean you checked the wrong one. The Home Builders Licensure Board also runs a Builder Watch Hotline at (800) 304-0853 for reporting unlicensed activity.
What is the Homeowners' Recovery Fund?
It is a fund maintained by the Alabama Home Builders Licensure Board that homeowners may pursue in certain circumstances involving licensed residential builders, subject to the statutory procedure under Alabama Code section 34-14A-8(b). It is one reason hiring a licensed builder matters: an unlicensed builder cannot sue to enforce a residential construction contract, and your recourse options are narrower.
Is my foundation problem caused by expansive clay?
Maybe, and maybe not, depending on where you are. Montgomery County spans four Coastal Plain divisions according to the U.S. Geological Survey, including river terraces of sand and gravel across the north of the county as well as the Black Prairie chalk clays. Lowndes County and much of Macon County sit squarely in the Black Belt where expansive smectite clay dominates. Northern Elmore County sits in Fall Line Hills sands and gravels where erosion and runoff are usually the bigger factor. This is why a local diagnosis beats a national article.
Why do my doors stick in the summer and work fine in the winter?
That seasonal pattern is a classic symptom of soil moisture cycling. In clay soils that shrink when dry and swell when wet, the ground under and around the footings changes volume through the year. Montgomery gets roughly 52 inches of rain annually with no true dry season, then typically dries out through September and October. A house riding that cycle moves enough to change how openings sit in their frames.
Do I need piers, or do I need drainage?
Frequently both, but the order matters and the diagnosis should come first. If the structure has moved measurably and is not supported adequately, underpinning addresses that. If soil moisture cycling or erosion caused the movement, drainage and grading address the cause. Piers installed without fixing the water problem stabilize the house while the underlying condition continues. Ask any contractor to explain what they believe caused the movement, not just what they want to install.
How much does foundation repair cost around Montgomery?
We do not quote prices, because we are not the ones doing the work and any figure we published would be invented. Cost depends on the pier type and count, the depth required, access, the extent of drainage work and what interior finishes are affected. Get more than one written quote and compare scope line by line rather than comparing bottom-line numbers.
What is the difference between mudjacking and polyurethane injection?
Both raise sunken flat concrete by injecting material underneath. Mudjacking pumps a heavier cementitious slurry through larger holes and generally costs less. Polyurethane foam expands in place, weighs far less, cures in minutes and uses much smaller injection holes. On soft or wet clay subgrade the weight difference matters, because adding heavy slurry over soil that already failed to support the slab can repeat the problem.
Should I encapsulate my crawl space?
It depends on the moisture readings and on the structure. Montgomery's climate is humid subtropical with relative humidity commonly in the seventies year round, which means outside air entering crawl space vents in summer condenses on cooler surfaces underneath the house. A vapor barrier over bare ground is nearly always worth doing. Full encapsulation with sealed vents and a dehumidifier is a larger investment and should follow an actual assessment, including what happens to combustion appliances and dryer venting once the space is sealed.
How fast will someone contact me?
That is up to the contractor who receives your request, and we do not control their schedule. If you need to move quickly, calling (334) 239-4774 is the fastest route.
Which areas do you cover?
Montgomery County, including Montgomery, Pike Road, Hope Hull, Pintlala, Mount Meigs and Ramer, plus nearby communities in Autauga County (Prattville), Elmore County (Millbrook, Wetumpka, Deatsville, Coosada, Elmore), Macon County (Tuskegee, Shorter) and Lowndes County (Hayneville).
What information should I have ready?
The town, the approximate age of the house, the foundation type, what you are observing, how long it has been happening and whether it changes seasonally. Photographs with something in frame for scale are the single most useful thing you can bring to the first conversation.
Services
- Foundation Inspection
- Slab Foundation Repair
- Pier and Beam Repair
- Crawl Space Foundation Repair
- Mudjacking and Slab Jacking
- Drainage and Grading Correction
- Foundation Crack Repair
- French Drains and Waterproofing